Health impact of injuries: A population-based epidemiological investigation in a local community of Bangladesh

Due to the lack of valid injury data, the objective of this study was to as sess the injury morbidity and mortality in a local community of Bangladesh. A population-based survey of 3,258 households was conducted in 1996. The i nformation was collected by trained field-level health workers using three pretested structured forms. The estimated crude morbidity from injuries was 311 per 1,000 population per year, and injury accounted for 13% of all mor bidity. The children and old-age groups experienced higher injury rates tha n others, and male children aged 5-15 years had the highest incidence rates (546/1,000 person-years). Falls and cutting injuries tended to be the most frequently (62.4%) observed types of injuries in this survey. The home (42 %) and workplace (42%) were where mast of the injuries occurred, and the ma jority (70.7%) of the injuries were minor. Of all deaths, mortality from in juries was 2.9%, and drowning (27.8%) and homicide (16.7%) were found as co mmon forms of injury-causing deaths. This study invites more detailed inves tigation on injury morbidity and mortality. (C) 1998 National Safety Counci l and Elsevier Science Ltd.